How's this for thug motivation for Young Jeezy: Try not to get into trouble.
The "Don't Get Caught" rapper was busted Friday in South Beach, Florida, following an alleged early morning shootout involving his posse and another group. He was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Jeezy, who broke through last August with his platinum-selling debut album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, was hanging with members of his entourage, including a couple of his music producers, when some of the men got into a scuffle with another group of individuals around 5:30 a.m., per the police report.
Things escalated from fisticuffs to gunfire when a bystander attempted to capture the altercation with a camcorder.
"One of Jeezy's producers walked up to the guy with the video camera and demanded the video," police spokesman Robert Hernandez told E! Online. "When he refused, another guy in the entourage produced a gun in his waistband...and shots were fired."
No one was injured in the spray of bullets. The incident occurred during the spring break season, one of the peak times of the year for the trendy district known as a favorite destination for hip-hop stars and fans.
Police say the 28-year-old Atlanta-based rapper, whose real name is Jay Jenkins, and nine other men fled the scene in two SUVs--a Navigator and a Range Rover--but were quickly corralled.
A search of the Navigator turned up a semiautomatic under Jeezy's seat and a second gun between his seat and the armrest. Hernandez says that the rap star, who has a prior arrest for carrying a concealed firearm, was in control of both weapons.
Along with Jeezy, two other men were taken into custody. Music producer Tramiel De Juan Golden was booked on strong-armed robbery and Steven Lesly Savain was booked on trespassing resulting from a previous bench warrant.
Authorities also nabbed the alleged shooter, Kariem Raheem, 28, in the Range Rover and rung him up for discharging a firearm in public and criminal mischief for hitting two cars during the getaway.
Jeezy's attorney, Scott Leemon, could not be reached for comment. However, the legal eagle told MTV News that his client will fight the charges.
"He adamantly denies any weapons recovered were his, and we are confident that he will be vindicated," Leemon said.
Jeezy has been working on a follow-up to Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, which entered the Billboard charts at number two, selling 170,000 copies its first week. He also teamed up with Def Jam president and rap legend Jay-Z for a bonus track, "Go Crazy."